Any paraglider/paramotor pilots?

Kinja'd!!! "Clown Shoe Pilot" (csp)
09/22/2018 at 22:40 • Filed to: None

Kinja'd!!!0 Kinja'd!!! 3

Mrs. Shoe Pilot and I are thinking about learning. Any pilots on Oppo?


DISCUSSION (3)


Kinja'd!!! WilliamsSW > Clown Shoe Pilot
09/22/2018 at 23:07

Kinja'd!!!0

There are a few of us pilots ( including students) on Oppo, though I don’t know of anyone who flies chutes or gliders.

Flying an airplane is awesome but takes some time and $ commitment.

I saw quite a few powered parachutes and gliders at Oshkosh in August. Personally I’d rather fly an LSA or bigger airplane but that’s me.   


Kinja'd!!! DipodomysDeserti > Clown Shoe Pilot
09/22/2018 at 23:46

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My grandfather flew gliders in WWII and had PTSD an d subsequent alcoholism from. Hated German cars. That’s all I got, sorry.


Kinja'd!!! TheRealBicycleBuck > Clown Shoe Pilot
09/23/2018 at 01:32

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I’m a student pilot and I am rated for hang gliders. In general, any flex-wing, whether powered or not, is going to have a slower flight speed and has to operate in calmer conditions. That can be somewhat limiting. However, a paramotor is going to be more portable and give you more options for launching and landing.

A lot of folks think that the parachute is inherently safer, but it’s not. It’s really a parafoil or a flexible wing. It has to be long and thin to provide lift and control. That makes it more vulnerable to turbulence compared to a semi-rigid wing like a hang glider or trike . There are some videos out there like this one that cover FAQs. There are also some videos out there that show what happens when a parafoil collapses .

I would HIGHLY recommend getting trained by people who are certified. You can buy the gear online and you don’t technically have to have a certification to fly them, but learning from a certified instructor is a smart thing to do. An instructor will teach you how to fly and where you can and cannot legally fly. They can also teach you where you should not fly because of dangers, interesting wind conditions, etc.

Start here: https://www.ushpa.org/